Finding Alice
by dewdrop.juri
Summary: Lacie Carroll is on the run. With a high-operating criminal organization hot on her tail and at her wits' end, she flees back to her mother's home country as an illegal immigrant—owning nothing but the clothes she wore to escape and a calling card to a private detective agency in Yokohama.
1. d i s c l a i m e r

**Disclaimer**

The entirety of Bungou Stray Dogs all belong rightfully to Asagiri Kafuka-sensei. I only own my OCs and the plot of this fanfiction.

Credits also to the artist of the image I used for the book cover.

 **Author's Note:**

Since I fell completely in love with _Bungou Stray Dogs_ —both manga and anime—I was motivated to write this fanfiction.

Lacie Carroll was inspired from Lewis Carroll, the author of the book _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ and _Through The Looking Glass_. I was too inspired to craft her character and one part of my mind insisted that I write this fanfiction and _Finding Alice_ was the result.

With that, I'll keep this message short. Please do enjoy reading!


	2. p r e l u d e

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'

'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.

'I don't much care where -' said Alice.

'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.

'- so long as I get SOMEWHERE,' Alice added as an explanation.

'Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, 'if you only walk long enough."

-Lewis Carroll, _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_


	3. Little Lost Alice

_She wasn't sure why but today of all days, she felt lazy._

 _Lacie laid down on the grass, letting the cool ground soothe her boredom._

 _'Today is still another ordinary day' she said, sighing dramatically. 'How boring.'_

 _No sooner than Lacie said that, a rabbit passes her by._

 _She suddenly sits up straight, rubbing her eyes._

 _It was white, small and wearing a respectable looking waist-coat with a pair of spectacles perched on his nose._

 _'What a peculiar sight!' Lacie thought._

 _"I'm late! I'm late!" The rabbit cried, and she wondered why he was in a hurry._

 _Lacie stood up and began to chase the little rabbit._

 _"Pardon me, Sir Rabbit, but why the hurry?" She asks, but the rabbit only sped on, leaving her in the dust._

 _"So late, so late!" The rabbit panics. "She'll take my head!"_

 _It brought out a watch out of its pocket and Lacie gasped, for she had never seen a rabbit with_ _a watch before._

 _With a burning curiosity, she chased after him, stopping just in time to see him jump into a little rabbit hole-_

* * *

...cie...

...Lacie...

.

.

.

"Lacie."

She opens her eyes, only to find a pair of onyx orbs stare back down at her. Lacie Carroll blinks twice before recognizing the woman staring down at her.

"Mother." The young girl replies and yawns before stretching. "Did I fall asleep…?"

Reiko Carroll only sighs at her daughter before helping her get up from her bed. "You dozed off and skipped breakfast." She narrows her eyes. "Again."

Lacie grins sheepishly before brushing off her nightgown. "Sorry, Mother." She walks past the older woman and sat in front of the dresser, facing the mirror. "I just had the most peculiar dream, that's all."

"Oh?" Her mother makes way towards her, picking up a brush and started to tame Lacie's long, blonde hair. "Tell me about it, dear."

Lacie picks up a pin, playing with it absent-mindedly as she drifted back to her thoughts. "There was a rabbit, running off because he was late…"

Reiko takes the pin from her daughter, pinning back Lacie's bangs. "A rabbit that was late?"

Lacie nods. "Yes, and I was there…running after him."

Reiko hums in reply. "And did you manage to catch him?"

The younger girl shakes her head. "No, he disappeared down a rabbit hole when I was trying to." Lacie fumbles with the rest of the bobby pins atop the dresser drawer. "Strange thing was, I followed him too."

"What happened next?" Reiko asks as she reaches out for another pin.

Lacie rests her palm against her cheek. "You woke me up before I could find out what happened next, Mother."

"My apologies then, darling. You were late for breakfast." Reiko chuckles as she pins back the last of Lacie's hair into an elaborate bun. "There. All set."

Lacie fingers her hair cautiously, afraid to unravel the meticulous hairstyle her mother made. "How do you always make the most elaborate of hairstyles in merely a matter of minutes, Mother?"

Reiko grins victoriously. "What do I say? It's a talent~"

The older woman nears her face to her daughter's, peering into the mirror. Their two faces contrasted—the daughter blond, the mother black-haired. Reiko's eyes were onyx-grey, while Lacie's was azure blue.

"We really don't look quite alike, do we, Mother?" Lacie mutters and Reiko only smiles.

"You are your father's daughter." Her mother murmurs under her breath. "His blood runs stronger in your veins rather than mine."

"But I wanted to look like you." Lacie pouts. "Your black hair is beautiful."

Reiko sighs before pinching her daughter's cheeks softly. "Your blonde hair is very beautiful as well, Lacie." She smiles as she fingers some of her daughter's locks gently. "It sparkles in the sun."

Lacie smiles widely at the compliment, and Reiko only rolls her eyes at her daughter, already expecting this kind of reaction.

The older woman stepped back and straightens herself, allowing Lacie to push back the chair she was sitting on. The younger girl stands up, turning back just in time to see her mother hand her a red dress.

"Here. Get changed, and we'll start your activities for the day." Reiko says as she makes her way out of the room. "Don't skip you Japanese language lessons, do you hear me?"

"Oh, Mother." Lacie groans as her shoulders slumped. "What's the use of making me learn your mother tongue when I know I can't even visit your country someday?"

Reiko stops slightly moments before she could turn open the doorknob. She suddenly turns back to her daughter with a knowing smile. "We'll see about that, shall we?"

"Huh? What does that mean?" Lacie blinks, confused.

"Guess, sweetheart." Reiko calls over her shoulder as she finally opens the door, her dress skirts brushing the floor slightly. "In the meantime, I will wait for you in the drawing room. Hurry and get dressed."

Lacie couldn't even make a retort back when her mother suddenly closes the door, leaving her alone in the room. "Mother…really…"

* * *

Behind the door, Reiko takes out a flip phone from her pocket—the very phone she still had used back when she was still in high school—and a piece of paper.

Staring seriously at the paper she keeps holding, she dials a number in her phone. Raising it to her ears, the caller picked up at the third ring.

"Hello?"

"It's me." Taking a deep breath, Reiko reverts to Japanese as she answered the call. "I have a favor to ask."


	4. Ominous Night

_`How cheerfully he seems to grin,_

 _How neatly spread his claws,_

 _And welcome little fishes in_

 _With gently smiling jaws!'_

 _-Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_

* * *

"Isn't Papa coming home today?"

Reiko looks up from her needlework, eyeing her daughter sprawled on the couch, reading a book.

"He's supposed to, yes." Her mother answers, her gaze returning back to her embroidery. "But he'll be a bit late."

"Hmm…" Lacie mumbles before closing the book, sitting upright and undoing the bun on her head. Her blonde hair reaches to her waist, and she absent-mindedly plays with a lock of her hair as she gazed at her mother.

"Papa is always out on his business trips, Mother." Lacie wonders aloud. "What exactly is this 'business' of ours all about?"

The older woman halts in her sewing, clearly not expecting the sudden query her daughter pitched.

"Mother?" Lacie asks, confused at her mother's odd behavior. "Did you hear my—"

"You'll learn in a few years." Reiko interrupts her, leaving Lacie no room to finish her statement. "Now's not the time for you to learn about it yet."

"But, Mother—"

"This conversation is over, Lacie." Reiko's voice hardened, leaving no room for argument.

Lacie stops, irritation gradually increasing as her mother seemingly continued on sewing nonchalantly as if the topic didn't come up. She rises from the seat, arms indignantly crossed across her chest.

"I am not a child anymore!" The younger child explodes. "I have a right to know!"

Reiko halts in her sewing completely, her gaze returning to her daughter. Lacie froze up suddenly, staring down at her mother's stern gaze—her onyx-eyes suddenly cold and hard.

"Drop the subject." Reiko coldly states before softening her gaze at her daughter's expression. "We'll discuss it with you soon."

A wave of silence washed over the two, and Lacie sighs—apparently giving up completely.

"I'll be in my room—"

 _Bang! Bang!_

Before she could finish her statement, two loud knocks resonated inside the house. Reiko gathers up her skirts, rushing past Lacie as she approached the main door.

"It must be your father." Reiko mutters. "Come with me, Lacie."

Lacie nods, dusting off her dress skirts as she scuttled after her mother to the doorways. The younger girl watched as her mother lifts the latch off the door and unhinges the chains.

By their doorstep, Lacie's father stands.

* * *

Louis Carroll was a man with blond hair in his early forties and he was the head of the Carroll Estate. Towering over six feet, he still retained his commanding presence from his younger days.

He steps inside the house, his blue eyes boring into Lacie's and Reiko's before a soft smile settles into his lips.

"I'm home." Louis mutters and Lacie tackles her father with a hug, surprising the older man as he steps back from the sudden force.

"Welcome home, Papa!" She exclaims and Louis only chuckles at his daughter's antics.

"Still acting like a 5 year-old whenever I'm back, eh?" Louis playfully banters. "What do you want this time, dearest?"

"Papa!" Lacie chides him before pouting. "Am I not allowed to miss my own Father?"

"Forever leaving me out of the conversation, you two." Reiko slides into the conversation, reaching out to place a kiss on her husband's cheek. "Welcome home, Louis."

* * *

Dinner that night was lively.

The table was filled with conversation—particularly that of Lacie pestering her father to appeal to her newly found hobby.

"The harp is interesting to learn, Papa!" The younger girl gushes before taking a bite out of the baguette on her plate. "Can you buy me one so that I can learn soon?"

Louis chuckles as he continued to take bites from his steak. "Whatever happened to your martial arts training?"

"I've successfully completed it!" Lacie leans back into her chair, crossing one leg over the other before grinning. "I actually beat up some punks at the port last night—"

"LACIE!" Reiko chides her daughter, mortified at the sudden revelation. "So you've snuck out to fight again?!"

Lacie quickly clams up. "Whoops."

Louis only chuckles at the playful banter between his wife and daughter. Reiko fumes at her husband's carefree behavior in response.

"You're not taking this seriously, Louis?" Reiko admonishes. "Your daughter is fighting on the streets! Late at night, to be exact!"

"Now, now, Reiko." Louis gently placates his wife. "Let Lacie do what she wants." He wipes the edge of his mouth with a napkin. "She's doing the world a favor."

"See!" Lacie exclaims, a victorious grin on her features. "Papa understands, Mother!"

Reiko sighs in defeat, placing a hand to her head. "Oh, whatever am I going to do with you two…"

Father and daughter laugh heartily at Reiko's response, and their laughter was so contagious that Reiko finally breaks in into a laugh as well.

For the first time in ages, the Carroll house was warm and bright once again.

* * *

"Where is Lacie?"

Reiko unwinds the bun on her head, letting her long hair rest on her back like a dark curtain before joining her husband on the bed.

"In her room. Probably sleeping." She replies and snuggles into Louis' embrace. "You should keep an eye on her. Your daughter is attracted to dangerous things."

Louis merely chuckles in reply before pressing a kiss to her forehead. "We're cut from the same mold—your daughter and I."

The two lay in silence for a moment, before Louis finally breaks the ice.

"Reiko."

The woman tilts her head towards him. "Yes? What is it?"

A shadow looms over Louis' façade before he continues. " _They're_ unto me."

Reiko stiffens, eyes widening at what he was implying. "So _soon_ , Louis?"

Louis nods; a troubled expression on his face. "They were bound to find out, sooner or later."

"As I feared…" With difficulty, Reiko pries herself away from his embrace, her onyx eyes hardening with emotion.

Louis sits up, hugging his wife from behind. "We need to move Lacie to a safe place as soon as possible." He rests his chin on her shoulders. "You two need to go back to your country, where they can't find you."

"I've anticipated…" Reiko closes her eyes as she breathes in shakily. "That's why I asked an old friend to give her refuge in the event that this would happen."

Louis pulls back, gazing into her face as he cupped her cheeks. "How about you? Surely you can't be planning…"

Reiko places a hand over his as she gazes back into his blue-eyes. "I'm staying here with you."

Louis stops, hesitating over his wife's decision. "But…I can't endanger you…"

"You're underestimating your wife, again?" Reiko moves in to press a chaste kiss on his lips. "I pointed a dagger at you the first time we met, remember?"

Louis softens at her response before wrapping his arms around her in an embrace once more. "How could I forget? I thought you were absolutely beautiful, back then."

Reiko raises an eyebrow at him playfully. "And I am not, now?"

Louis grins back. "Still the most beautiful woman on earth for me—"

 _Bang! Bang!_

Reiko pulls away from his embrace, suddenly mindful of the knocks on the door.

"A guest? At this hour?" She mutters and Louis' gaze turns serious before he alights from the bed.

"I'll go get the door." He remarks under his breath, reaching for the drawer and pulling out a revolver. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Reiko's eyes widened and she merely nods in reply. "I'll go take care of Lacie, then."

"If anything happens to me, immediately use the back door to escape and head straight to the ports." Louis instructs, opening the door and hiding the gun behind his back. "Make sure our daughter escapes safely."

Reiko nods and watches as her husband's back disappeared from the door. Throwing on a bathrobe over her nightgown, Reiko slides the desk drawer open and takes out a Glock.

Silently, she walks down the hallway towards Lacie's room. Closing her eyes, Reiko clenches her fist tightly.

 _The worst has come to worst._

* * *

The banging resumed as Louis continued on approaching the front door, his senses on high alert.

"I'll be there in a minute!" He exclaims, as he carefully unlatches the chain from the door.

' _If they've come for me,'_ he thoughts ' _I'm not going down without a fight_.'

Louis slides the lock open, hand steady on the revolver he had hidden behind his back before he throws the door open, raising the gun to his guest's face.

" _Oya. That's not a very pleasant way to welcome a guest into your home, Mr. Carroll."_

Louis glares at the man at his doorstep. "So you really came, eh?"

The moonlight shines across the unknown man's face, and he breaks into a grin as he gestures with a dramatic flourish.

"I always do pick up the trash I have not yet disposed of, Mr. Carroll."

Louis gaze hardens as the man finally steps into the light, revealing his blonde-haired and blue-eyed guest. The smug smirk on his face was one that Louis recognized anywhere.

"You're not leaving here unscathed…" Louis grip tightens on the raised gun. "… _Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald_."

The young tycoon and leader of the ability-user organization, _The Guild_ , Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald only grins at his enemy. "Oh, this should be entertaining."

* * *

Lacie runs her fingers through her hair, preparing for bedtime. She gazes at her reflection, fingering the lace trimming on her night dress as she casually swung her feet back and forth while sitting on her bed.

The moon was full that night, and she had faithfully sketched that sight into her sketchpad, unable to fall asleep right away after dinner.

"Looks like I can't sneak out with Mother on full alert tonight…" Lacie grumbles to herself, easing herself on her mattress as she faced the blank ceiling of her room. "Stupid me, blurting those words out—"

" _ **LACIE!"**_

The younger girl jumps, sitting upright abruptly as Reiko storms inside the room in her night robes. Lacie heaves a sigh of relief at the sight of her mother, but her brows furrow at the sudden interruption.

"Mother! Have you ever heard of knocking?" Lacie grumbles, but Reiko suddenly locks the door behind her, frantic and panicking visibly.

"Hurry now darling. Get up." Reiko yanks the curtains open, fumbling with the lock leading to Lacie's balcony. "We have no time to waste; we must get out of here."

"What is happening? Why are you being like this?" Lacie asks, puzzled at Reiko's strange behavior. "How about Papa?"

Reiko stiffens for a fraction of a second at her daughter's query before regaining her composure. "He'll soon follow; ask your questions later, sweetheart."

Lacie raises her arms, exasperated and tired of figuring out what is going on anymore. "We're going out? In my night dress?"

" _ **LACIE, FOR ONCE, LISTEN TO ME!"**_

Reiko now raises her voice, glaring intensely at the younger girl who had flinched back from the volume. Her mother's gaze softens for a moment and she reaches out to envelop Lacie in a hug, stroking her daughter's hair soothingly.

"You aren't safe here, Lacie." Reiko breaks away from the hug and resumes with stringing together blankets to make a rope. "The moment your father and I dreaded the most has finally come."

"I understand your concern, but please explain to me why this is all happening?" Lacie mutters, eyes betraying cluelessness and anxiety.

"I'll answer your questions later, Lacie." Reiko reassures her as she ties the final knot in place at the balcony ledge. "For now, we must get away from here."

Lacie takes off her slippers and substitutes them for boots, hanging on the edge of the balcony. Carefully, Reiko descended after her, black hair tousled in the moonlight as the sea breeze comes in.

Mother and daughter slowly slide down the make-shift rope, and once they were down, Reiko takes out the gun from her pocket, refilling the cartridges.

"There's the car at the back of the house, head for it first." Reiko instructs Lacie, who only nods in return. The older woman follows behind her daughter, keeping close watch on their surroundings.

Reiko and Lacie had not taken more than three steps when suddenly…

 _ **BOOM!**_

Something in the house explodes, and Lacie frantically turns her head back, only to see the estate go up in flames.

"Papa!" The younger girl screams but Reiko forcibly holds her daughter's arm back, making the younger one struggle against her mother's grip.

"Mother, what are you doing?! Let me go!" Lacie exclaims, tears slowly sliding down her cheeks. "I need to go back to Papa—"

 _ **Slap!**_

Unable to hold back anymore, Reiko slaps her across the cheek causing Lacie to shut up as she gazed at her mother in disbelief.

Reiko had never raised a hand against her, until now.

Her mother grabs her shoulders, and Lacie was surprised to see there were tears in her mother's eyes.

"Lacie, listen to me." Reiko states. "Your father did this for you, and we would do anything to keep you safe. Any parent would gladly die, if it means saving their own children." She pulls back, unable to hold back the tears anymore. "Your father and I are no exception. We want you to live. So please, don't turn back now."

Struck speechless, the younger girl only nods, and Reiko wipes her tears as she pulled Lacie's hand towards the garage.

* * *

That night, from behind the passenger seat of a black Honda, Lacie Carroll can only watch helplessly as the home she grew up in for the last 18 years, burned up in flames.


	5. Flight

Fitzgerald steps on the man's head, smirking victoriously as he hears the sound of bones crunching underneath his feet.

"A pity, really, Louis." The tycoon lifts his foot from the unmoving body beneath him. "Having died for a nonsense cause."

" _Fitzgerald-san."_

The blonde-haired man tilts his head to the other direction, in time to see the figure of a brunette approach his side.

"Where is the girl?" Fitzgerald queries, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the blood on his shoes.

"She seems to have escaped with her mother." The girl replies, letting out a sigh. "The father played the decoy so that the two women could have escaped via the balcony."

"Hoh? Really now?" The man scoffs in reply. "They could've not gone far."

"Sources suggest they're headed for the docks." The girl remarks. "Should we go after them?"

Fitzgerald finishes wiping his shoes and absent-mindedly throws the soiled cloth to the fires. Turning on his heels, he exits the house with the younger girl trailing behind him.

"Your orders, Fitzgerald-san?" The brunette queries, eyes focused on her boss.

The tycoon lights a cigarette, and takes a long drag from it before answering. Turning his gaze to the younger girl, he lets another smirk latch onto his lips.

" _ **Pursue them**_."

* * *

The ride was mostly silent for the rest of the trip.

Reiko gazed at the rearview mirror to look at her daughter as she continued to drive. Lacie had lifted both feet up the seats, head tucked in within her arms as she crouched.

Lacie can't still accept the fact that she both lost a home and a father in one night—without even knowing the reason why.

The younger girl raises her head up, eyes red and swollen from her tears as she gazed at the long, winding road ahead of her.

"Where are we going, Mother?" The younger girl asks, finally breaking the ice between the two of them.

"We're going to the docks." Reiko mutters as she kept flooring the car. "We're sending you to Japan."

Lacie's eyes widen, making her suddenly sit up straight and lean closer to the driver seat to gain a closer look at Reiko.

"To Japan?" Lacie exclaims. "… _of all places_?"

"A friend of mine has agreed to give you refuge." Reiko explains, making a right turn at the crossroads before reaching out to Lacie to give out a small calling card. "They will keep you away from The Guild."

" _The Guild_?" Lacie breathes out, confusion suddenly swimming in her eyes as she clenched the calling card in her hands, glaring at the Japanese characters before shoving it inside her pocket. "What is that?"

Reiko glances at her daughter at the corner of her eyes, swallowing the lump in her throat before continuing.

"A high-operating ability organization, that's what they are." Reiko's eyes darken for a moment. "Louis—your father—was tasked to stake out their leader, because the organization was responsible for a number of illegal dealings outside the country."

"Hold on, this is suddenly hard to take in." Lacie collapses back to the seats. "So all those 'trips' Papa was undertaking, were actually… _missions_?"

Reiko nods, hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as she hits the accelerator. "Yes, but someone had caught wind of what your father was doing, and Fitzgerald—The Guild's leader—was to silence him forever."

The younger girl leans back into her seat, blue eyes wandering out of the window in hopes of a distraction. Reiko continues flooring the car, another awkward settling between the two women.

"Lacie…" Reiko begins. "…there actually is another reason why we were targeted."

"Really now?" Lacie turns her head to her mother, narrowing her blue eyes. "What else do I _don't_ know?"

"Please hear me out for a moment." Reiko breathes, hands shaking at the steering wheel as she made a quick turn at the left, leading to a small shortcut to the docks.

"Do enlighten your _ignorant_ daughter, please?" Lacie hissed, sarcasm dripping from every word she had said.

They were in the middle of an abandoned small village, an iron gate up ahead of them-no doubt the entrance to the shipyard. Lacie could already smell the sea.

Reiko stops the car and turns around, focusing her onyx eyes to her daughter.

" _ **The Guild is after you, Lacie."**_

The blonde girl stiffens, turning her blue eyes to meet with her mother's. Lacie pointed to herself.

"After me?" The younger girl breathes out in disbelief. "What would they want from a mere girl like me?"

Reiko reaches out to clasp her daughter's hands, her grip tightening. "They want your ability."

Lacie blinks. "My what-?"

"You were born as an ability-user, sweetheart." Reiko's eyes focus on her daughter's face. "Have you ever noticed how you can pick up on easily on whatever hobby you wanted to start?"

Lacie remembers clearly.

That one time she had managed to be able to assemble a gun together after just one look at how a military officer did it during one of her sneak-outs to the port.

The moment when she was able to play the piano after Reiko showed her a tape of a piano concerto.

The instance where she was able to flip over her instructor for martial arts after he showed her how to pin down an opponent-

"That's why Fitzgerald is after your ability." Reiko continues, eyes brimming with tears. "He believes you can replicate other abilities too."

 _Ability replication._

The blonde girl lets the words sink into her well-being.

"No. You're wrong!" Lacie's eyes widen and she pulls away harshly from Reiko's grasp. "I'm just a fast learner! I don't have anything! I'm just a normal girl!" The younger girl exclaims, raking her fingernails through her hair as though in disbelief.

"Darling, please calm down—" Reiko tries to reassure the younger girl, but suddenly a dark shadow glides past the car.

The smell of rotten flesh then began to permeate the air.

Lacie's eyes caught sight of it too, and she flinches in fear. "What…what was that?!"

Reiko narrows her eyes, senses on high alert as she reaches out for the gun. She unbuckles her seatbelt slowly.

"Darling, get out of the car." Reiko mutters under her breath.

"What?" The younger girl, dazed, could only choke back a sob.

The shadow was back again, circling the other side of the Honda. Reiko clicks her tongue.

"Get out of the car." The older woman narrows her eyes to her daughter **. "Now."**

With shaking hands, the younger girl opened the door of the car. Lacie had barely started taking three steps out of the car when—

 _ **Bang! Bang! Bang!**_

Reiko suddenly shoots three rounds of bullets at the dark shape that circled the car. Lacie stumbles back into the ground, a sharp rock cutting into her palm as her eyes widened in fright while watching the scene unfold before her very eyes.

"MOTHER!" The younger girl screams at Reiko who was still inside the car, shooting ceaselessly at the shape.

Reiko meets eyes with her daughter once before shouting, "GO! I'll be right behind you!"

Lacie stalls, eyes wide open in fright.

Reiko manages to pull the car door open, continuing to shoot. Her onyx eyes drilled into Lacie's azure ones. She had only mouthed one word to her daughter.

" **RUN."**

* * *

The younger girl scrambles up to her feet, stumbling as she ran into the night. Her blonde hair fluttered wildly against the wind as she figured out how to escape. Lacie's eyes looked back over her shoulders, blue eyes frantically searching for the outline of her mother in the darkness.

Reiko was still far behind, dealing with the unknown pursuer.

The iron gates were near, and Lacie's eyes lit up when it was unlocked. She sprints to the last stretch, her chest heaving as she was breathing heavily now.

 _Mother and I can get away safely. We can get through this—_

" _ **Where do you think you're going, little Alice?"**_

A female voice rang out in the darkness, stopping Lacie in her tracks. She turns back, only to see a brunette in a dark velvet dress, smiling sinisterly at her figure.

"Who are you?" Lacie breathes out. Even in the state of distress, she was surprised at how calm her voice turned out.

"My apologies." The girl curtseys, a show of mock respect. "My name is Mary Shelley, apprentice to The Guild." The brunette's red eyes shone in the darkness. "How do you do?"

 _The Guild?_ Lacie tenses up at the mention of the name, but she clenches her fists.

"What do you want with me?" Lacie hisses, her blue eyes narrowing at her new visitor.

"Our leader wants you." Mary replies curtly, an expression of calm settling on her face. "You'd be useful to us, he thinks."

" _ **Leave my daughter alone."**_

Lacie and Mary both look up to the source of the voice.

Reiko Carroll was battered and bruised, but still alive. Blood was running down a gash at her arm, but she held the revolver steady—pointed at the brunette.

"Mother!" Lacie breathes out in relief, and ran towards Reiko to support her.

"You managed to finish off little Frank?" Mary's eyes widened in amazement. "Very impressive—"

 _ **Bang!**_

A shot fires from Reiko's gun, hitting the apprentice in the leg. Mary slumps down to the ground, eyes widening at the hole near her calf.

"If you know what's good for you…" Reiko snarls. "You go back quietly to where you came from."

"Unforgivable…" Mary hisses under her breath, her red eyes suddenly wild with fury. "UNFORGIVABLE!"

Lacie and Reiko back away from the girl who was seething with rage. Reiko tightens her grip on her gun.

" _ **Ability:…"**_ Mary chants her ability under her breath, her red eyes fixated on both women in front of her. _**"…Frankenstein."**_

Lacie could only watch as a large, dark shadow loomed behind the brunette. The familiar rotten scent flared in the air again, and the blonde tried her best to not puke. Her blue eyes squinted, trying to get a better view of the creature, and what she saw made her eyes widen.

It was a human—if you could call it a human. His body parts were stitched together, all of them rotten and decaying. Lifeless eyes stared back at them and the figure opened its mouth, letting out a breath that literally harbored the scent of death.

 _It was a monster._

"Frank…" Mary murmurs under her breath, raising a finger to point at Reiko _ **. "Finish them off."**_

The monster roared and suddenly charged. Reiko pushes Lacie away from her before shooting at the abomination.

"Lacie, get inside those gates and board the lone cargo ship docked!" Reiko exclaims as she rolled to the right, narrowly missing a punch headed her way as she shot at the monster's leg. "That's en route to Yokohama!"

Lacie stumbles back, eyes wide. "But Mother, I cannot leave you behind—"

"You must." Reiko states firmly. She had returned to Lacie's side, the monster staggering at them as two bullet holes were drilled into its kneecaps. "You have to be safe."

Lacie holds on to her mother's hands, shaking as she gazed frantically into her eyes. "I can't leave you! Please Mother—"

Reiko squeezes her daughter's hands, smiling sadly at her child. "You are a strong woman, Lacie." She presses her into a hug. "You need to live."

Lacie's eyes widen. "Mother what are you—"

She suddenly gasps as the gate behind her opens and she gets shoved inside. Lacie gasps as she stumbles into the pavement, the asphalt meeting her behind as the iron gates in front of her started to close.

The monster picks itself up, shaking its head as it growls at Reiko before charging at full speed.

Reiko looks over her shoulder, smiling tenderly at Lacie before mouthing the next words.

" _Be safe."_

And then, the iron gates closed.

* * *

The mobile phone in Fitgerald's pocket starts to ring, and the tycoon picks it up, pressing the 'Receive' button.

"Yes?"

"Operation Alice has failed, sir." The voice of Mary Shelley echoes from the other end of the line, breathing heavily. "The target has escaped."

"Little Mary." Fitzgerald replies back into his phone, chuckling darkly as he uncorks a bottle of champagne. "You do know what happens when you fail your mission, right?"

The girl from the other end of the line stiffens. "But Fitzgerald-san, please give me another chance-"

"You had your chance to prove your worth." The tycoon replies coldly. "You just proved yourself to be incompetent."

"But I-" The girl tries to plead, but Fitzgerald suddenly cuts off the line, ending the call. He looks out of the window, eyes suddenly dark.

 _You, Lacie Carroll and your ability, will be mine._


	6. The Rain Brings Unexpected Things

No one noticed the girl slip inside with the rest of the cargo.

They were almost two days at sea, and Lacie only huddles closer to the darkest space inside the corner of the ship.

Her nightdress was soiled with dirt, her blonde locks strewn all over her face, her palm covered in dried blood from her cut, but there was only one thing going on her mind right now.

 _Mother and Papa are dead because of me._

She buries her face in her arms, reaching out to fiddle with the paper card her mother had shoved desperately into her palms the night before.

The young girl stares at the paper in her hands—the only memory of her mother left-and bursts into a fit of ugly sobs.

* * *

The rain was pouring down heavily the night the ship docked unto Yokohama.

As soon as the men unhinged the doors open, Lacie had took the chance, slipping under their watch to run to the exit of the port and into the town.

She felt tired from all her crying, and the hunger pangs started to gnaw at her after having not eaten for the past few days.

Lacie could feel some of the raindrops fall on her bare skin, soaking her body from head to toe. The jacket she picked up from some random alley did little to serve its purpose now—she was thoroughly doused.

Lacie reached into the pocket, drawing out the little card again.

The unfamiliar characters stared back at her as Lacie gazed at them. The raindrops quickly blotted the ink as soon as she exposed it in the rain, dampening the paper and blurring out some of the characters.

 _What use is an address if I can't read it?_

"I'd better ask …" Lacie muttered under my breath as she stared at the address again. "…at least one of the people working in those shops…"

She scanned her surroundings, and a small café caught Lacie's attention. Making her way towards it, she squinted at the sign, thankful that it had Romanized characters underneath.

"I…zu…maki?" Lacie muttered and turned her gaze to the café door. The lights were still on, so they were still on business.

Without a word, she pulled down her hood and reached out for the doorknob when suddenly it turned open, catching Lacie off-guard.

" _Don't slack off tomorrow Dazai, you heard me?!"_

" _Geez, don't be such a workaholic, Kunikida-kun~ You'll get wrinkles~!"_

She stopped her attempts as soon as she heard voices chatting in a foreign language. _Japanese?_

The door fully opened, revealing two men—one with dark brown hair and bandages wrapped around his arms; and the other with dirty blond-hair, wearing a pair of glasses.

The man with the dark-brown hair spotted Lacie first, his brown eyes boring into her azure ones as his mien changed to that of fascination.

" _Oya? What do we have here?"_

Lacie stepped back hastily; suddenly wary of the way he looked at her.

" _Dazai, what's the big deal?! You're blocking the way damn it—"_

His companion, the one with the dirty-blonde hair, begins to rant but suddenly halts when he saw Lacie's appearance. He narrowed his eyes for a moment, as if assessing her.

" _A foreigner?"_ He mutters to his companion who nodded his head solemnly.

" _Quite unusual, you'd reckon, Kunikida-kun?"_ The man with the dark-brown hair—Dazai, was it?—replies back to his friend before his features relaxed into a smile as he took a step towards Lacie.

She took another step back, guard suddenly up at his approach. _Is this guy a pervert-?_

Imagine her surprise when he suddenly took out something from his coat pocket and presented it to her with a dramatic flourish.

 _A…rose…?_

"A pleasure to meet you, milady." He switches to English, his hand reaching to take Lacie's already. "On this lovely night, would you like to perform double-suicide with me? "

Lacie blinked, confused. "Pardon…?"

" _ **YOU IDIOT!"**_

She gasps as his partner suddenly kicks him out of the way, making this Dazai person fall face-first into the pavement.

"Please excuse him." The man with the dirty-blond hair retorts back to Lacie curtly, also switching to English. He steps over the threshold, stepping on the man on the ground in the process. "He's suicidal."

"N-no problem…" She replies back shakily, not sure how to approach this situation.

His eyes rest over her figure suddenly, making her self-conscious of her soaked self. "Well then, we'll be on our way."

He already took three steps to the opposite direction, and Lacie suddenly remembered her initial objective. _Maybe they can help me figure this address out!_

" _Excuse me, again!"_ This time, she switches to their language, making him turn his head back in surprise as she ran towards him.

"… _What do you want?"_ He replies back in Japanese and Lacie thrusts the card to his direction.

" _Please, do you know where this is?"_ She asks and he takes the card from her, eyes widening as he read the content. He narrows his eyes back at her as he hisses the next words.

" _Who are you?"_

A slow ache began in Lacie's head, making her wobble in her steps for a moment, and the man suddenly catches her in his arms.

" _Oi, are you alright?"_ He feels her forehead and suddenly curses. _"You're burning up…!"_

" _Pl-please…"_ Lacie gasps, grasping the front of his shirt. _"Take me to this place…"_

" _Who the hell are you, really?"_ He retorts back to her face, his voice gradually rising in volume. _"Why do you need to go to this place?"_

" _Please..."_ Lacie rasped, suddenly feeling chills down her spine as the cold suddenly started to get to her. _"… please help me."_

His eyes widened, and he started shouting at his partner—his voice a muffled thrum in Lacie's ears, his face a blur.

That was the last thing she remembered before she saw black…

…and then suddenly, darkness.

* * *

Kunikida glances at the sleeping girl on the infirmary bed.

Her long, blonde hair spilled in waves around her body as her chest rose up and down steadily, showing signs that she was fast asleep.

He sighs rather harshly for the nth time that day.

Kunikida turned the card in his hands—the one she had thrust to him—and skimmed over the contents.

The Armed Detective Agency's address was written on it in neat and careful handwriting. The rest of the characters were washed off by the rain, but it was still readable to say the least.

 _How did this woman end up with this?_

He returns his gaze back to her figure, his fist clenching the paper in his hands.

 _Just who on earth are you?_


	7. To Protect

_It was oddly warm._

Blinking her eyes open, the blank ceiling greeted Lacie's field of vision as soon as she woke up. The warm and soft rays of the afternoon sun spilled from the window blinds and they lingered unto her skin.

" _ **Finally awake?"**_

At the sound of a voice addressing her, Lacie glanced to the side, catching sight of a man with dirty-blond hair sitting on a chair next to her bed. His eyes were peeled at a notebook as he continued to read it, his fingers turning the pages calmly.

"…where…?" Lacie mumbles, still groggy with sleep and he sighs as he tears his gaze off the pages.

"You collapsed from a high fever last night." His eyes drilled into hers momentarily as he closed the notebook before he spoke. "Don't you remember?"

Lacie blinked for a moment and then sat up quickly in realization, her blond hair spilling over shoulders, as the events of the previous night flooded into her brain.

Glancing around her surroundings, Lacie realized that she seems to be in an infirmary. Her clothes were replaced by a hospital gown, the nightgown and jacket she used the other day neatly folded right next to her.

"I know that you're probably confused but—" Kunikida started to explain as she glanced about her surroundings questionably, but then suddenly she turned abruptly, her blue eyes glaring right back at his own.

Kunikida visibly flinches at the sudden change of her attitude before raising an eyebrow. "Oi, what are you—"

Lacie didn't let him finish his statement.

In a few seconds, he was under her hold on the bed. Lacie hovers over him, her right knee pressing down on his abdomen to make sure he stays in place.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Kunikida growls and she narrows her blue eyes at him before digging her knee in his abdomen harder.

"Where did you take me?" The blonde girl hissed down at him. "Are you in cahoots with _them_ as well?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, so get off me, woman!" Kunikida growls back, and Lacie clicks her tongue in annoyance.

"Don't play dumb with me!" She growled. "Answer my question!"

"Like I told you…" He growls from underneath, and within a moment, Lacie gasps as Kunikida suddenly flips them over, his body atop of hers as his hands pinned both of her arms above the bed's headboard. _"I have no idea what you're talking about."_

His eyes drill into hers, gaze hardening as he stared her down. "Reversely, I think it's _you_ who should be answering some questions."

Lacie glared at him and tried to escape from his grip, but he only tightens his hold on her arms, making her wince from the pain. "Let me go, _you bastard_!"

The man only draws out a card from his pocket in response and waves it in front of her face, his voice taking on a dangerous tone. "How did you know of the Armed Detective Agency's existence?"

Lacie widened her eyes at the paper he's holding and glared back at him. "Give that back!"

He presses more force into his hold, making Lacie cry out in pain. "Answer my question, woman."

Lacie only glares back at him in reply and struggles into his hold. " _Fuck off_."

* * *

" _Kunikida-kun~ Is the beauty awake-?"_

" _D-dazai-sannn! I think this isn't a good idea…"_

* * *

Voices echoed from the door and a man with dark-brown hair waltzes in the room, followed by a shorter silver-haired male.

"Dazai-san, I think she's still resting…" Nakajima Atsushi said to his companion but Dazai, (regrettably) ignored it. The second they stepped near the location of the infirmary bed however, made the two stop suddenly as they processed what was taking place in front of them at the moment.

Kunikida Doppo was hovering over a woman atop of the bed.

Said woman was panting hard, her blonde hair an unruly mess and the faintest peek of skin showed as her top hitched upwards all so slightly. Kunkida had pinned her arms atop the bed frame, the top buttons of his shirt undone ever so slightly.

While Atsushi's face bloomed a brilliant red with his jaw hung open like a gaping fish, Dazai only blinked rapidly a few times, as if making certain of what he's seeing. The brunet's lips curl into a grin (maliciously) at the man pinning the younger girl down.

" _ **Kunikida-kun~"**_ Dazai calls out to his partner, a shit-eating grin on his face as he uttered the next words. "…. _ **Getting down and dirty now, are we?"**_

At that remark, Lacie's face bloomed a bright red and she was about to bark an explanation when the man above her—Kunikida, she reckoned—gets off so suddenly…

" _ **IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK IT IS, YOU BANDAGES-WASTING DEVICE!"**_

…and started beating up the brown-haired newcomer into a pulp.

Lacie sits up cautiously, straightening her clothes and hair as she only stared at the scene unfolding in front of her that very moment.

 _Honestly, who are these people?_

"Uhm…"

A gentle voice addressed her suddenly, making Lacie turn to the other boy who stepped inside the room with the man called Dazai. His purple eyes shone with concern as he made his way to the chair next to her bed.

"Are you feeling alright?" He asks hesitantly, and at the sound of his sincere query, Lacie couldn't help but ease a small smile unto her face. At the sudden sight of her smile, the silver-haired male blinked in surprise.

"I'm okay." Lacie mumbles, tucking a loose strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "Thanks for asking…"

"That's a relief then." The male replied and he held out a hand towards her. "I'm Nakajima Atsushi, by the way. You are?"

The girl reached out her right hand, her mouth opening to answer his question when a sudden slam from a door opening echoed inside the room, drawing her and the three other males' attention towards it.

" _I presume she's awake?"_

A deep voice echoed throughout the room, and all of a sudden, the three males became serious. Lacie peeked cautiously from behind Atsushi's body frame to gaze at the newcomer in the room.

He was a tall man with graying hair dressed in an olive green _yukata_ with a black coat draped over his shoulders. Though he seemed to be of older age, he held a commanding presence—an entity meant to be respected.

His steel grey eyes found her and Lacie instinctively flinched, her guard up at this man's arrival. To her surprise, his look softened at her reaction.

"Miss Lacie Carroll, I presume?" At the sound of her name coming out of this man's mouth, Lacie's eyes widened in surprise.

"H-how did you know my name?" She replies back in astonishment, her hands gripping the white bed sheets tight. "Who are you people?"

The newcomer approached her in slow, sure steps—the sound of his sandals echoing inside the room. His grey eyes focused on her blue ones as he bent down to meet her eye level.

"My name is Fukuzawa Yukichi, the director of the Armed Detective Agency." He pauses for a moment as his eyes held her gaze. _**"We've been expecting your arrival."**_

* * *

The cup of green tea was warm as Lacie held it between her hands.

Currently, she was seated with the Director inside his private office. Kunikida had been requested to remain with them while the other two—Dazai and Atsushi—were made to wait outside. The blond-haired man had been observing the two, his gaze cautiously fixated on the girl.

"You've been expecting me?" Lacie finally broke the silence, releasing her hold on the cup as she folded both of her hands on her lap. "How come?"

Fukuzawa took a tentative sip from his own cup before calmly putting it down the table as soon as he was done. "Your mother asked to give you refuge."

The girl suddenly flinched in surprise. "You knew my mother?"

Fukuzawa nods solemnly in reply. "Kimura Reiko, yes. She used to work here as a clerk before she married your father and settled in England." He pauses to look at Lacie. "She phoned a few days ago, asking me to take you in."

Lacie slumps back into her seat, the sudden realizations hitting her like a truck. Her hands began to sweat and she clenched them together tightly as she gritted her teeth. "So Mother had anticipated we'll be attacked, after all."

"She asked me to protect you and that she might not make it back…" Fukuzawa murmurs comfortingly, his gaze uncharacteristically gentle as he assesses Lacie's figure. "…I'm so sorry for your loss, young lady."

Those words opened up her old scars, reminding Lacie once again of what she's lost. Without even thinking, the first batch of tears slid down her cheeks, as she bawled out like a child, curled up on the couch of the office.

Fukuzawa and Kunikida could only watch her as she broke down, keeping their gazes down.

* * *

"Kunikida."

Fukuzawa laced his hands together atop the desk of his table as he addressed the younger man inside the room.

Lacie was escorted outside by Atsushi minutes after her breakdown, leaving Kunikida alone with the Director inside the room.

"Director." Kunikida addressed his superior, his gaze stern and posture at full-attention.

"I'm leaving the girl in your care." Fukuzawa announces, making Kunikida visibly flinch for a moment at the sudden order.

"To me, sir?" Kunikida replies back, confused. Fukuzawa merely nods, standing out of his chair to stand in front of the nearest window, his grey eyes fixed on the movement of the people outside.

"Lacie Carroll is one of the gifted." Fukuzawa replies. "Kimura Reiko requested us to keep her safe."

"That girl is an ability-user as well?" Kunikida voices out, his tone suddenly serious. "She doesn't seem to be like one—she hasn't even physically manifested her abilities, I assume, Director?"

"Yes, that seems to be the case." Fukuzawa remarks. "People are after her ability, and I want you to keep them off her scent."

"With all due respect, Director." Kunikida replies, his eyes gazing back steadily at Fukuzawa's figure. "What is this girl's ability that greatly warrants our protection?"

Fukuzawa steps away from the window, his grey eyes hardening as he uttered the next words.

" _ **Lacie Carroll can replicate other abilities."**_

Kunikida's eyes widened at the sudden revelation. "Seriously?"

Fukuzawa merely nodded. "One organization has targeted her specifically, but they have yet to know she's under our protection."

The director of the agency stared seriously at Kunikida. "I'm counting on you to keep her safe, Kunikida."

Realizing that the Director's word left no room for argument, Kunikida only nods, his posture at attention. "Understood, sir."


	8. Alterations

" _Hey, four-eyes, what's that?"_

Kunikida's eyebrows twitched.

Up ahead, Lacie Carroll was pointing to a _mochi_ store in the shopping district—her aura basically all sparkly as she took in Yokohama's sights one after the other. The girl was donning a navy blue dress lent to her by Naomi, her blonde hair pulled up and hidden under a brown wig, so as not to attract attention.

"Oi, woman. Don't wander too far." Kunikida calls out to the girl. Spinning around to face him, Lacie narrowed her eyes at him as she pointed her finger at Kunikida's figure.

"You're the one lagging behind!" She huffs indignantly, placing a hand on her hip as she cocks her head to the side. "You're the one supposed to show me around, so do your job!"

"That's why I told you to wait up!" Kunikida responds, pulling out his notebook as he flips through his notes, a tic forming in his jaw. "I have systematically planned out this little excursion of yours before I go to my next work! You're the one disrupting the schedule!"

"What?" Lacie counters back, stomping her feet in order to stand right in front of the male before poking at his chest. "You don't plan out these kinds of things! You just need go out and see what's out there!"

"Like I told you…" Kunikida retorts, irritation visible in his tone and demeanor. "I've scheduled this properly so you could make the most out of this town given the time!"

Lacie glares at him, pouting slightly before sighing. Holding her right palm open, she raises an eyebrow at Kunikida as she tilts her head up to meet his gaze.

"Lemme see that notebook for a while." She mutters and on reflex, Kunikida pulls his notebook back, drawing it out of the shorter girl's reach.

"No need for you to do that." He replies and spins on his heels, already walking to the next location. "I've got it covered."

"Ehh?!" Lacie exclaims, speeding up her pace and walking in front of Kunikida's path, blocking him from going further. "Just a little peek so that I'll know how this will flow won't hurt!"

"I said, no!" Kunikida's voice raises a tad higher before successfully keeping his notebook away from her reach, skirting around her figure to walk ahead. Lacie's jaws dropped before she huffed indignantly, arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Why must I be with a sulky, neurotic old man while on a tour of this lovely city?" She groans. "This isn't fun at all!"

"If you don't catch up, I'm leaving you behind." Kunikida calls out over his shoulder, making the shorter girl bunch up her dress' skirt in her hands before stomping her way towards his figure.

"Mood-killer four-eyes." Lacie remarks once she kept pace with the taller male, intentionally raising her voice to be within Kunikida's hearing range.

" _I heard that!"_

* * *

They stopped at a cake shop 30 minutes after their stroll around most of Yokohama's public streets.

Lacie stares at Kunikida seated across her inside the shop, the male flipping his notebook's pages while skimming quickly through what was written inside for the umpteenth time. Kunikida's cup of black coffee was left unattended at the table side, no longer hot after being neglected for so long.

The girl frowns, eyebrows scrunching together as she stared at his figure, before casually taking a sip from her own teacup. _Chamomile,_ she notes, savoring the flavor that invaded her taste buds—faintly tasting the honey and milk she mixed in earlier.

"Has anyone told you that it's rude to stare?"

Kunikida's voice returns her back to reality, and Lacie sighs before placing the teacup down on the saucer. Leaning back against the cushioned seats of the café, she points a finger at her companion's face.

"Don't you get tired of reading the same thing all over and over again?" Lacie blurts out and an almost exasperated groan escapes from the male's mouth as if he was totally expecting that sort of question this girl was trying to aim at him.

"This isn't just a _thing_." Kunikida breathes out, shutting the cover of his notebook and settling it down on the table with its cover up. "This is my ideal, my guide to life. Everything that's going to happen in my life is written and planned out inside this very notebook." He taps on the character written on the cover for emphasis.

Lacie stares at him blankly before returning her attention back to her teacup, mumbling a disinterested "I see," under her breath. She finishes the last of her drink, placing it atop the saucer before folding her hands across her lap and staring away outside the window.

Kunikida eyes her from his peripheral vision, taking this time to take a sip out of his own drink, grimacing slightly at his coffee gone cold. He places the cup down, turning his attention back to his female companion.

"They say you're one of the gifted." The older male starts, noticing the girl flinch in her seat at the mention of the last word. He fixes his gaze on Lacie, glancing at her seriously from under his glasses. "Is that true?"

Lacie tears her eyes away from the window, turning her attention back to him. Kunikida's eyes widened for a fraction at her eyes.

Her blue eyes that once sparkled in delight when she first stepped foot inside town now turned blank, almost devoid of emotion as she stares him down. Her fists clenched and unclenched in her skirt and he knew she was struggling to bottle her emotions in.

"So they say," Lacie begins, her voice cold and bitter and a small sad smile fall into her face before continuing. "…funny thing is, I don't know myself either."

A staggering silence followed and Kunikida almost regrets springing the question when Lacie suddenly perks up, the sparkle back in her eyes again as she leans back against the sofa, crossing her arms against her chest as she grins.

"Well, on the other hand, I'm dying to find out what this 'ability' is~" She chirps, and Kunikida raises an eyebrow at her sudden change of attitude.

"You—"

"Ah! Come to think of it, this dress and this wig is pretty uncomfortable!"

He opens his mouth, about to say something when the girl quickly changes the subject, tugging at the strands of her wig, frowning slightly.

"We can't help it." Kunikida muses. "You're targeted. You need to disguise yourself."

"Won't I stand out even more this way?" Lacie remarks back, closing her eyes and pressing a finger to her temple in concentration. An idea seemed to form in her head as she opens her eyes and snaps her fingers.

"I got it~!" She gushes out excitedly, leaning across the tabletop to gaze at Kunikida with earnest eyes. "Hey, four-eyes, is there a nearby salon and boutique shop here?"

"For the nth time, my name is not 'four-eyes'." Kunikida spats back irately before leaning back and pondering over her question. "There's several around the corner, as far as I know."

"Perfect!" Lacie smiles, standing up suddenly, her energy back. Tilting her wig into place, she exits her side of the table and pulls Kunikida's arms, surprising the male. "Let's go~!"

"What are you doing?" Kunikida sputters out in surprise, hastily placing his notebook inside his vest and stumbling a bit as the girl drags him out of the café. "Ah, you're stretching the sleeves, let go!"

"You're my guide, aren't you?" Lacie replies excitedly, looking over her shoulders to gaze at the slightly irritated male. "Lead the way~!"

Kunikida only sighs, allowing the girl to tug at his sleeves as she dragged him around town. _Well, whatever. Just let her do whatever she wants._

* * *

"Oi."

Lacie only hums in reply at Kunikida's voice, her hand skimming past the racks of clothing inside the boutique before pulling out a cream-colored skirt and tossing it over to the older male.

Kunikida catches the item shakily, his arms already full from the clothing Lacie picked earlier, stumbling in his steps.

"How many more of these are you going to buy?" He asks, exasperated and in reply Lacie tosses his a black blouse, hitting the male in the face.

"That's the last item~" She chirps in reply and walks towards the exit, Kunikida closely following behind.

"How are you even going to pay for all of these?" Kunikida mutters and Lacie tilts her head at him coquettishly, a mischievous grin on her face.

From that expression alone, Kunikida felt the color drain away from his face.

"You're not thinking—"

His statement was cut off when Lacie walks briskly towards the exit, swiping the black blouse and the cream skirt from the pile of clothes.

"It's on you for the meanwhile, four-eyes~" Lacie chirps, nodding to the staff who placed the items in a bag. "Until then, let's meet at the salon across the street later."

"What?!" Kunikida's jaws dropped in surprise. "Oi woman, are you kidding—"

"Meet you in 30 minutes~" Lacie slips from his watch, a small smile on her lips as she exits the glass doors of the boutique. Blowing a kiss in his direction from behind the glass door she silently mouths, _"Adieu~"_

A male clerk approaches Kunikida, sending a business-like smile in the blond man's direction. "Would you like me to ring up the items, Sir?"

In his state of shock, Kunikida only gives the male a nod.

 _Unbelievable woman._

* * *

Kunikida thoughts irately to himself, clutching four shopping bags filled to the brim with clothes. Lacie Carroll had made quite a huge dent in his budget for the month.

"I swear, when that woman comes back…" He mutters under his breath while settling outside the hair salon where the two were supposed to meet up.

He glances at his wristwatch, tapping his feet impatiently as Lacie was already late for their meet-up.

 _Look how terribly off-schedule we are now._ Kunikida utters in his head, and he was already making up half his mind to storm inside the parlor when suddenly the doors opened.

"Took your time, haven't you?" He exclaims, turning around to reprimand his female companion, but stops when a girl with short brown-hair and blue eyes stares back at him with a giddy smile on her face.

"You…" Kunikida starts, dropping the shopping bags down in shock. "You're…"

She wore the black blouse and the cream skirt, and twirls around before dropping to a curtsy. Lacie Carroll beams back at him with her full smile.

" _Yes~ This is Lacie Carroll, version 2.0~"_


End file.
